Three Foreign Tourists, Filipina Abducted from Samal Island Resort

Two Canadians, a Norwegian, and a Filipina were kidnapped from a resort on Samal Island in Davao del Norte Monday night, the military said.

Capt. Alberto Caber, chief of the public affairs office of the Armed Forces of the Philippines’ Eastern Mindanao Command identified the abducted foreigners as Canadians John Ridsel and Robert Hall, Norwegian Kjartan Sekkingstad, and a Filipina named “Tess.”

Caber said the victims were aboard a yacht docked at the Holiday Oceanview Resort in Barangay Camudmod, Babak district when at least 10 armed men forcibly took them at gunpoint around 11:20 in the evening.

CCTV footage obtained from the resort showed around 11 men armed mostly with short firearms swooped in at the dock area at around 11:23 p.m.

Sources said the suspects sped off onboard motorized bancas toward the direction of Pantukan town in Compostela Valley.

Reports reaching SecurityMatters said there were about 30 foreign tourists at the resort at the time of the abduction but it appears that the victims were the targets.

The military has not confirmed the identity of the suspects but a special investigation task group has been activated.

Police, military, and Coast Guard personnel have also been dispatched to track down the suspects and rescue the victims.

As of this posting, the two abandoned pump boats used by the kidnappers were recovered at Barangay Tiban-Tiban, Gov Generoso, Davao Oriental.